What's getting my goat today?

^^Isn't that a funny expression? I use old time-y sayings all the time. I'm not sure why. Must be the Southern old lady in me.

Anyway, my current gripe about NZ is that they can't seem to link my credit card account to my bank account to set up autopay like I do for all of my US cc's. This is the screen I get when I try:

So, unless I want to switch banks for my main checking account, I have to manually log in every month, find out how much I owe, and go to my bank webpage to set up a transfer. My statement closes on the 24th of each month, and the balance is due on the 6th or 7th of the next month. This happens to be a problem this time around because I'm going away on a beach vacay for the duration of that period this month/next month and will not have great internet--and even if I did, I wouldn't want to spend my vacation days logging into my bank accounts on dodgy (?) wifi and setting up transfers! Grr. I'm forced to guess how much I'll owe, set up a future-scheduled transfer to take place while I'm away. I don't like it. Hrmph.

That about sums it up: the inability to set up autopay for credit card statements in NZ is getting my goat today. To be fair, people in the US still use checks, so...that will be getting my goat when I move back, I'm sure!

2016 Year Summary

Yeah. I did OK on my 2016 goals. Not perfectly but not bad, either. However, I'm still on the unhappy train I was on in 2015--the bad this year far outweighs the good:

The good

• I explored Chile and Brazil! I love Chile. 
• More travel is planned for 2017!
• I went on a fun ski trip!
• I did a ton of relaxing/not caring about PhD progress or impossible deadlines.
• I started a therapy course.
• I watched lots of great TV shows?
• I took a cooking course and started cooking meals for the week on Sundays.
• I made over my diet: less junk food, less red meat. I have lost about 5 pounds and my clothes fit a tiny bit better, but don't really feel any different!
• My family is still kicking, though have declined drastically in health.

The bad

• A very good friend moved away from NZ (good for him/bad for me).
• PhDs are the WORST. So much guilt and pressure and horrible political academia issues.
• I gave up on my dream of being in a long-term, committed relationship. TWICE. Meanwhile, SEVEN couples around me got engaged.
• (Relatedly, I was basically rejected by my best guy friend, after he initiated discussions about moving things in a different direction. Apparently I'm too awesome to date. This is not the first time this sentiment has been expressed to me. I get told I am a catch and NO ONE will/can tell me why I'm single. This happens almost on a monthly basis. I have tried my hardest. So I give up on this thing I cannot control.)
• I still have not found my keystone habit. 
• I still lay awake for far too late every night, mostly being sad and angry about not being able to find someone to commit to and share my life with.  
• My family's health is declining. This, combined with the above dating thing, makes me sad because I feel like I will end up very alone in the world.
• In society: 
• lots of amazing talents in the celebrity world passed away
• Brexit. Sigh.
• LE TRUMP. LE SIGH. 

I would really like to be happier in 2017, while also reaching my life goals and being healthy. Balancing these three is a tough job. For some reason, they don't intertwine as much as I thought that they did. In 2015, I dedicated everything to my PhD and became miserable. In 2016, I focused on health and largely ignored my PhD, and still I didn't feel happy. I mostly just felt guilt this year that I wasn't doing my PhD and guilt that I didn't fulfill my health goals each day perfectly. The thing making me unhappiest is that I am ready to settle down but don't see a future for me here in NZ: I don't have any partner options, can't afford a house, can't have a dog. I feel like my happiness is completely out of my control.

So 2017's theme for me will be balance. How can I reach my health goals while doing my PhD and work, and somehow identifying those things that make me happiest THAT I CAN CONTROL and also doing those??

December 2016 Goals

December is half over, yes, but better late than never!

I looked through my 2016 goal list. I've surprisingly done a lot of them. The rest probably cannot fit into this year, so will be moved to next year.

There are certain things that I seem to put off every year, or have trouble doing. I'll need to make a plan to address these and get these done or make a part of my routine.

Goals for December

Guidelines:

1. Get 8 hrs of sleep.
2. Wake up early.
3. Do exercises and stretches (push ups, splits, stretches, plank, rolling out my back, sit ups).
4.  Put on SPF.
5. Take vitamins.
6. Eat a healthy breakfast with fruits or veggies. Plan healthy lunch and pack it to go to work.
7. Meditate/quiet time/deep breathing.
8. Plan goal for day and write it down, with specific goals.
9. Go to work and plan work for the day.
10. Attend exercise class and/or take breaks with friends when it pops up.
11. Leave office by 5 pm.
12. Relax or walk 1 hour.
13. Eat a healthy dinner, planned earlier in the day. 
14. Fill out health tracking form.
15. Floss.
16. Go to bed earlier.

Also:

1. Go to physio once a week.
2. PhD pampering: get spa pedicure.
3. Fill out therapy form every week.

Other goals for December (non-health related):

1. Plan work/home trip next May/June and book air travel
2. Update my CV, LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, staff page, and Researchgate profiles for work. 
3. Check backup system at work. 
4. Go to one event where I know no one.
5.  Go through clothes and donate what I don't wear to Goodwill.

November Goal Update

I had a trip at the end of November which messed up most of my 'every day' goals. I also am in therapy and we are challenging some of my rigid standards and beliefs, which means I am experimenting with loosening up my goals and making 'guidelines' for living instead of hard-out rules.  When I break my 'rules,' I tend to look down on myself, and this is wreaking havoc on my self esteem.

However, I'm pretty much back on track with my daily goals/guidelines.

Goals for November
Every day:

1. Get 8 hrs of sleep. MOST DAYS
2. Wake up early. NOPE
3. Immediately get morning exercises out of the way (push ups, splits, stretches, plank, rolling out my back, sit ups). SOME DAYS
4.  Put on SPF. MOST DAYS
5. Take vitamins. SOME DAYS
6. Eat a healthy breakfast with fruits or veggies. Plan healthy lunch and pack it to go to work. MOST DAYS
7. Meditate/quiet time/deep breathing.SOME DAYS
8. Plan goal for day and write it down, with specific goals. SOME DAYS
9. Go to work and plan work for the day. SOME DAYS
10. Attend exercise class and/or take breaks with friends when it pops up. NOPE
11. Drink water. SOME DAYS
12. Leave office by 5 pm. MOST DAYS
13. Relax or walk 1 hour. NOPE
14. Eat a healthy dinner, planned earlier in the day. MOST DAYS
15. Floss. MOST DAYS
16. Go to bed earlier. NOPE

Also:

1.  Go to physio once a week. YEP
2. Try Float Tank again. NOPE
3. Fill out therapy form every week. YEP

Other goals for November (non-health related):

1. Check in with friend: figure out what date to fly out of SF to NZ next May/June and book air travel. STILL NEED TO CHECK IN W/ WORK. HAVE POSTPONED May/June trip
2. Update my CV, LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, staff page, and Researchgate profiles for work. NOPE
3. Back up my home laptop.
4.  Find something to do for Xmas and New Year's Eve 2016.
5. Go to one meetup event where I know no one. NOPE

Knock on wood...

I find myself getting a bit bored of blogging--generally I only do it when inspired and when I need to keep track of my monthly spending. I'm sorry about this. I blame my PhD. It has sucked all of the life/writing ability/motivation out of me. I use every ounce of my energy reserves to keep my head above water these days.

But I'll keep blogging, at least for the monthly spending reports. Many a time has this blog come in handy for these! My Excel budget spreadsheet (kept since about 2007(?)) has gone corrupt twice and I've had to recreate it from scratch. Luckily this blog has captured most of my spending and saving/Net Worth.

I'm grateful for the boredom with PF blogging, actually. It means that things are the same. Stable. Not changing. When my budget is a mess, it usually means that my life is, too. For better or worse. Right now, things are ticking over and I have a good handle on my spending and finances.

Knock. On. Wood.

December will be spendy, but I know the drill by now: even if I go overbudget one month, I self-correct afterward. It all evens out. Because: stability. I love that I have developed that kind of respect for and faith in myself.

Happy holidays to all who still read my blog despite my boring posts! :) 

Note to Self

Subtract $1,419.80* from one of my funds over there...I am sending my Mom some $$ for Xmas so she can go to Machu Picchu next year!!

(This is approximately equivalent to $1K USD right now.)

[Yes, I know this is a lot of money. But she really really wants to go, and says she can't quite afford it with everything my Dad has spent on crap recently. It's really unfair.]

November 2016 Expenses

blah blah blah budget

	Nov 2016 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount	Balance
Rent	$900.00	$900.00	$0.00
Groceries	$374.52	$430.00	$55.48
Internet	$26.33	$26.33	$0.00
Electricity	$0.00	$50.00	$50.00
Eating Out	$132.60	$150.00	$17.40
Charity	$137.00	$50.00	-$87.00
Cell phone	$21.00	$40.00	$19.00
Medical	$26.00	$75.00	$49.00
Misc	$462.87	$700.00	$237.13
Savings	$500.00	$500.00	$0.00
Total	$2,580.32	$2,921.33	$341.01
Remainder	$340.84

blah spending blah

MISC
alcohol	$          59.20
entertainment	$               -
exercise	$               -
fees	$          75.00
gifts	$          13.00
goods and wants	$        194.68
transportation	$          80.00
travel	$          33.00

blah blah savings

DONE

New Presidency

Well, there goes my retirement savings. And my future science job in America...

October Goal Review

Health challenge review time!

October was pretty good. I was able to do the following almost every day:

1.  Get 8 hrs of sleep a night. (Most days) Wake up early. (Some days)
2. Immediately get morning exercises out of the way (push ups, splits, stretches, plank, rolling out my back, sit ups). ALL DAYS
3.  Put on SPF. ALL DAYS
4. Take vitamins. ALL DAYS
5. Eat a healthy breakfast with fruits or veggies. ALL DAYS
6. Plan healthy lunch and pack it to go to work. ALL DAYS
7. Meditate/quiet time. (most days)
8. Plan goal for day. and write it down, with specific goals. ALL DAYS
9. Go to work and plan work for the day.  ALL DAYS
10. Attend exercise class and/or take breaks with friends when it pops up. (Some days.)
11. Drink water. ALL DAYS
12. Leave office by 5 pm. (Most days)
13. Relax or walk 1 hour. (Few days)
14. Eat a healthy dinner, planned earlier in the day. ALL DAYS
15. Floss. ALL DAYS
16. Go to bed as early as possible. (Some days)

Need to work on:

1. Going to bed and waking up earlier.
2.  Get 8 hours of sleep.
3. Going to exercise classes.
4. Going for a walk 1 hr/day.

I was also able to:

1. Check Experian and Equifax credit reports from the US. Check TransUnion after October 13 2016. I can see my TransUnion and Equifax reports from NZ using Credit Karma--all is good. I used annualcreditreport.com to check TransUnion officially. I forgot to check my Experian or Equifax from the US last month...put on the list for next year!!
2. Cancel Qantas cc.
3. Plan Queenstown trip and book accommodation/get ideas for stuff to do there.

But need to transfer this one to Nov:

1. Figure out what date to fly out of SF to NZ next May/June and book air travel.

A(n Overspendy) Focus on Health: October 2016 Budget Review

October! It was a crazy month. My health goals took over everything. I have lost 6 pounds or so already and have ups and downs in terms of how I'm feeling. I've started to lose motivation a bit but I'm still hitting most of my goals.

I'm taking the day off to re-energize my commitment to my health. Luckily, my finances seem to be (mostly) in order for the month:
 

	Oct 2016 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$900.00	$900.00
Groceries	$500.50	$430.00
Internet	$26.33	$26.33
Electricity	$39.50	$50.00
Eating Out	$127.40	$150.00
Charity	$11.82	$50.00
Cell phone	$16.00	$40.00
Medical	$24.00	$75.00
Misc	$772.55	$700.00
Savings	$500.00	$500.00
Total	$2,918.10	$2,921.33
Remainder	$219.21

I'm close to or under budget in most categories. Within a comfortable fudge factor considering I am so focused on health, anyway--keeping within my groceries budget is always a pain, but I give myself a pass since nearly 100% of the things I bought were for healthy, home-cooked meals. Also, I give myself a pass for going over in MISC because I bought a gym membership for the year this month:

MISC
alcohol	$            6.00
entertainment	$          17.70
exercise	$        326.00
fees	$               -
gifts	$               -
goods and wants	$        321.78
transportation	$        101.07
travel	$               -

I joined a gym for a year, which explains my exercise $$.

Entertainment was watching the Mrs Peregrine movie in theatres with a new group of people. I had a beer with them afterwards, which accounts for the alcohol spending.

Transportation is $75 for a cityhop car rental for a day, plus a few Uber rides. My friend returned from overseas so I don't have a car at my disposal anymore.

For goods and wants, I got my eyebrows waxed and a pedicure, bought a wicker stand for my plants on my patio, a spice rack (finally!!), body fat scale, a garbage can for my new office, batteries, pill boxes, snacks, basket for the empty space under my nightstand (what on earth is that  area for?), fish oil, probiotics, and iron pills, eco tan lotion, potting soil, fertiliser, ant bait, and a replacement flashlight for our Harry Potter closet.

I have nearly $200 that I'm putting towards my LASIK surgery.

Done and dusted...if only my personal life was as easy to manage as my finances!!

November 2016 Goals

November will be a crazy work month. Given how much time being healthy takes up, I am not sure I'll be able to keep up with my every-day goal. However, I'll definitely try!!

Goals for November
Every day:

1. Get 8 hrs of sleep. 
2. Wake up early.
3. Immediately get morning exercises out of the way (push ups, splits, stretches, plank, rolling out my back, sit ups).
4.  Put on SPF.
5. Take vitamins.
6. Eat a healthy breakfast with fruits or veggies. Plan healthy lunch and pack it to go to work.
7. Meditate/quiet time/deep breathing.
8. Plan goal for day and write it down, with specific goals. 
9. Go to work and plan work for the day. 
10. Attend exercise class and/or take breaks with friends when it pops up. 
11. Drink water.
12. Leave office by 5 pm. 
13. Relax or walk 1 hour. 
14. Eat a healthy dinner, planned earlier in the day. 
15. Floss. 
16. Go to bed earlier.

Also:

1.   Go to physio once a week.
2. Try Float Tank again.
3. Fill out therapy form every week.

Other goals for November (non-health related):

1. Check in with friend: figure out what date to fly out of SF to NZ next May/June and book air travel.
2. Update my CV, LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, staff page, and Researchgate profiles for work.
3. Back up my home laptop.
4.  Find something to do for Xmas and New Year's Eve 2016.
5. Go to one meetup event where I know no one.

Therapy

As I mentioned, I started going to see a therapist and signed up for a free course for the next 12 weeks or so.

The first session was just a baseline kind of interview, to see where I'm starting from. I was pretty nervous, but determined to be open to the experience. After all, why even bother going if I'm going to hide my issues like I usually do?

The therapist was really nice. There were points where I wasn't sure exactly what she was asking me, but I tried to give an answer as best as I could. I guess it is hard to know how you feel or why you do certain things if you haven't really thought about it before.

There were several a-ha! moments in the session, already. For example, I talked mainly about how my PhD is making my life miserable. (Well, I should say that I'm allowing it to make my life miserable.) And I talked about how I am now doing this new health regime and now don't really even have time for the PhD. Somehow the therapist made me realize that I am not solving my PhD issues with this healthcare thing. All I am doing is transferring all the stress and energy I had previously put into my PhD into self-care. So, when I finally "fail" at self-care (I haven't--not yet--but of course that day will come), I will feel just as bad about myself as when I "failed" to live up to my impossible standards doing PhD stuff. A-ha, indeed. I'm just shifting my issues around, not solving them with this self-care thing.

Yikes. That's something major to chew on. Yep, this is already very, very interesting.

My PhD Has Driven Me To Therapy

Yesterday I went to my first therapy session. But before I describe that, I have to tell the odd story of how this all came about.

Therapy has been on my List forever, and in the back of my mind as something I should probably do even longer than that, but I have never followed through. I was scared. What if something is really really wrong with me? What if it unleashes stuff I don't want to deal with?! Also, I didn't know where to start. Which kind of therapist should I look for? How do you tell who is good?

The idea seemed more and more like a good one as I struggled with my PhD, however. Recently (earlier this year), a friend and I were talking about her issues and she started gushing about her therapist to me. I took this as a good place to start and got that therapist's name and contact info.

I bit the bullet and contacted the therapist via email to set up an appointment. The next hurdles emerged: timing and cost. The recommended therapist wasn't available for two months, and the fee was nearly $300 for the first session, and $200 per session after that. Yikes.

I ended up saying that I'd take a booking for the therapist in two months' time, and suggested several dates and times that I was free. She didn't get back to me to confirm a date for several weeks, so I thought she had forgotten about me or ignored my email. In the meantime, work piled up, and I had to schedule work meetings for the dates/times I suggested, and then I went on holiday for a month...so nothing happened.

While all that was going on, I went on my merry way and lived my life and made a few new friends. The new people became my FB friends and one of them posted something about free therapy sessions for people struggling with my exact issues, to test out a new course of treatment.

I, of course, jumped on that! I filled out the form and learned more about it, and lo and behold...my new friend works at the recommended therapist's clinic! He had posted the free treatment course on his FB to help his colleague get more volunteers for the project. The person in charge of the new treatment course is the student of the recommended therapist! So, very, VERY weirdly and unbeknownst to me, I befriended someone who worked at the recommended therapist's clinic at the same time as I was trying to get an appointment with her, and I now get free therapy sessions with the therapist (and her student) I had wanted in the first place!

Auckland (well, NEW ZEALAND) is super tiny. Gosh. SO. TINY.

Rock-tober Goals

Following up from my post yesterday, I have 1 main goal in October: BE HEALTHY

Basically, that means plan my days out very carefully to include lots of healthy habits that I hope to make automatic. Things like:

1.  Get 8 hrs of sleep a night. Wake up early.
2. Immediately get morning exercises out of the way (push ups, splits, stretches, plank, rolling out my back, sit ups).
3.  Put on SPF.
4. Take vitamins.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast with fruits or veggies.
6. Plan healthy lunch and pack it to go to work.
7. Meditate/quiet time. 
8. Plan goal for day. and write it down, with specific goals.
9. Go to work and plan work for the day. 
10. Attend exercise class and/or take breaks with friends when it pops up.
11. Drink water.
12. Leave office by 5 pm.
13. Relax or walk 1 hour.
14. Eat a healthy dinner, planned earlier in the day.
15. Floss.
16. Go to bed as early as possible.

Other things I have on my goal list to do in 2016/need to do in October:

1. Check Experian and Equifax credit reports from the US. Check TransUnion after October 13 2016. I can see my TransUnion and Equifax reports from NZ using Credit Karma--all is good. I used annualcreditreport.com to check TransUnion officially. I forgot to check my Experian or Equifax from the US last month...put on the list for next year!!
2. Figure out what date to fly out of SF to NZ next May/June and book air travel.
3. Cancel Qantas cc.
4. Plan Queenstown trip and book accommodation/get ideas for stuff to do there.

September Goals & Health Goal Check In: Life Makeover

My main September goal was to not stress about anything while on vacation. I did very well on that.

When I got back to NZ, I was determined to keep up the trend. Then I slipped a little bit, but I've righted myself again.

Basically, my priority is making myself a priority. I haven't done that enough in my life, apparently, because I have always taken shi* care of myself. Not sleeping correctly, not sticking to a schedule, not exercising regularly, eating whatever I wanted. And work came before anything else.

I needed to change that. As I get older, my body becomes more decrepit. Everything cracks and hurts now. I am not healthy, mentally or physically.

So I've started trying new things.

EATING BETTER/MEAL PLANNING
Earlier this year, I started meal planning on Fridays, grocery shopping on Saturdays, and cooking for the week on Sundays. I've done all but one or two weeks since about June. It's working well, and I am learning new cooking skills, trying things out, and eating much healthier.

Example: I bought 3 cans of ravioli from the grocery store in early June. Those were regularly my panic-mode dinner when I got home from work late, super-hungry, nearly on a weekly basis. Those 3 cans are still there today. Very proud!

Some things I can work on:

1. Portion control. My freezer isn't very big so I can't store anything if I don't eat up what I make each week. 
2. Wasting food. This relates to the above. Things go bad so fast, and I am only cooking for one. I don't NEED a whole loaf of bread each week, just a few slices...Not sure what to do since my freezer is teeny.
3. Meal planning takes up my whole weekend. I have no social life. Friday evenings are needed for me to search out new recipes, make my list, and check what I already have in my pantry, as well as clean out my fridge for the week. On Saturday, I am exhausted after grocery shopping and errand running. On Sundays, I spend about 3 hours cooking. If I do something else on Sundays, I run out of energy to cook and it completely screws up my week.

EXERCISING
For exercising, I'm going to an easy movement class every week, as well as doing push ups, situps, planks, and stretching every morning. I walk for an hour on some nice evenings, when I have the energy/will. I hope to ramp this up with time/summer weather. I go to the physio every week to check in on how my various sore spots/injuries are doing

SLEEPING
I'm suprisingly doing OK here after getting back from vacation. Going to bed at 1 or 2 am instead of 4 or 5 am. Not ideal, but I'll take it as I wake up around 7:30 - 10 am every day instead of 2 pm.

SOCIAL
Social: I don't have time on the weekends to socialise (see healthy eating, above), so I end up taking long lunches and tea breaks with friends during the work week. I make it my aim to say yes to everything my near and dear ask me to do with them as often as I can. Friend time is healthy. 

MENTAL HEALTH
Mental/planning: I made an appointment with a therapist finally. I also started meditating/having quiet time every morning, and listing out my big goal for the day and a plan to get me there. Every day, that goal is: BE HEALTHY. Eat ___ for bfast, X for lunch, and Y for dinner. Meditate. Do stretches. Take vitamins. Floss. Take breaks from the computer at work. Hydrate. Go to bed early. Talk to friends/family. Be kind to yourself.

*********************************************************************

Being healthy is a full time job...and therein lies the main problem.

Basically, this all comes at the cost of working. My PhD is getting ignored because my part-time work is more urgent in the short-term, and I only have so many hours in a day/energy to get things done, what with all my socialising/healthy eating/breaks/exercise classes/sleeping. I make myself leave the office at 5 pm, no matter when I arrived at work or how many breaks I took during the day. Because: health.

But my priorities have flipped now. Normally not working 100% all the time would make me feel horribly guilty. Now? I don't care anymore. Work can no longer be allowed to come before sleeping, eating well, or exercise. I do my morning stretches and exercises as soon as I wake up so will power isn't an issue. I blocked off my workout class and a meditation class during the work day in my calendar, so no one can schedule meetings with me at those times. If something at work starts to cause me stress or anxiety, I say no to it or excuse myself from the project/task.

This strategy won't work forever, but I am hoping that as my new lifestyle becomes more of a habit, the lifestyle changes will take less energy/willpower away from me, and start giving me energy. Then I can slowly start reaping the benefits of being healthier, and hopefully, more productive at work.

Sept Budget

OK, Sept is a little crazy because I went home for 3.5 weeks. But I guess I can still do a little round up of $$:

Spent at home: about $2K USD. Half of this was for a rental house for a family wedding next year. I'm getting paid back by family members now. My portion of the $900 bill is about $150. I've now fulfilled my spending for my $2K spend on my Bank of Hawaii 50K points deal credit card. Woohoo for Hawaii points!

I took $1.5K NZD out of savings for this trip, and all of that went to my credit card bill, after being converted to USD.

The rest of the cost of the trip just came out of my NZ checking account. I had accumulated enough from paychecks to cover it.

At the end of Sept., I still have about $1K left over to save:

	Sept 2016 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount
Rent	$900.00	$900.00
Groceries	$288.08	$430.00
Internet	$26.33	$26.33
Electricity	$0.00	$50.00
Eating Out	$76.13	$150.00
Charity	$0.00	$50.00
Cell phone	$17.00	$40.00
Medical	$0.00	$75.00
Misc	$262.69	$700.00
Savings	$500.00	$500.00
Total	$2,070.23	$2,921.33
Remainder	$1,067.08	$1,019.50

I'll put the $1,067.08 towards savings. I've decided to get LASIK. I have a great recommendation from a friend for a doc in NZ and will get a discount if she refers me. It shouldn't be more than $5000 NZD.

Some of the spending from early October is included in here, but that's OK. Just means more $$ for October!

Electricity is covered by the annual dividend payout.

All in all, a good September with family, friends, exploring a new area, and trying to enjoy life in the US before the election.

Vacation Work Limbo

Back in NZ...and so super relaxed from my vacation. I scheduled an early return trip back from my vacation purposefully. I now have the whole weekend to prep for my upcoming crazy work schedule.

ACTUALLY

NO

Hold the phone. I won't let it get crazy.

I do have a lot coming up, but I am going to just take it easy and do things as I can. Pre-PhD, this upcoming time would be the most hectic part of my year.

And then I added a PhD on top of that. I've been really unhappy with my schedule and all the pressure.

Well. I tried some new things out over my vacation. My (bad) supervisor asked me to do some major work. I said no, absolutely not.

I'll be doing a lot more of that in my new plan/attitude. If something is going to cause me to stress out, stop having a life, or not allow me enough time to take care of myself, I will just say no.

I expect a lot of snide comments and blowback from this, but I don't plan to give in.  Guess what? The PhD/work will get done eventually. If it doesn't, it wasn't important enough. Or, they can pull my PhD funding and I'll go back to being happy in my job. (I was really happiest when I just had the job...)

This means I have to approach work differently. Really make efforts to prioritize, be efficient, and commit to not working more than I absolutely have to.

I think I'm a little addicted to work and the praise I get from it. Combined with a dwindling social life, family really far away, no hobbies or pets or other commitments, and no potential dates, it was easy to make work my whole life.

But that really, really isn't healthy. And, despite the absolute joy I get from doing my job, how easy it is for me, and the gold stars I get from it, it's not the only thing I want in my life. I have to start making room for the rest of the things I want.

An article about Self Care popped up on my FB feed today. Even though it's about depression, it describes a little bit of what I've been feeling but not able to put into words. Self care is more than pedicures and Float Tanks. It's doing the awful annoying stuff in your life that you put off because it is unpleasant or boring or hard. It's 'adulting.' I would like to be a little bit more disciplined with that stuff. It's so easy to come home from an intense, long day, and put all the hard or boring stuff off in favor of pampering myself a little.

So I'll be making an effort to schedule that sort of stuff some point soon, and write a post on it. It will probably be easier if I just make a list and pop it in my calendar!

I've gained probably 10-15 lbs since starting the PhD. I'm hoping that my new healthier lifestyle of eating better and exercising, I'll get rid of it. That will probably have to be added to my goals...
 I like my goal system a lot, and will incorporate it into my new plan. I probably need to do something every day to get me closer to achieving them...

I miss my family a ton, but I am so very relaxed right now, thanks to my vacation and saying no to doing PhD work during my time off! And I want it to last as looooonnnnngggg as possible.

September Goals

As I'm on vacation for 3.5 of the 4 weeks of September, I will not be setting any major goals. I will be taking this opportunity to really relax and enjoy my family and friends and NOT STRESS.

Since being on vacation for a week now, I realize how much anxiety I have in NZ. About everything. I mean, I am constantly on myself, worrying about how I sleep so much, can't seem to get on a normal schedule, can't seem to make myself work out, waste so much time, don't get enough work done, can't find a date, etc. etc. etc. Maybe if I just lay off myself a little, my energy and discipline would return?

Sigh. That seems like the opposite of what I need to do (I NEED MORE DISCIPLINE), but I'm desperate. I'm willing to try anything at this point!

One good thing is that my sleep seems to have stabilized, now that I don't have anything to do the next morning. I sleep when I get tired--even if that means going to be at 7:30 pm, and wake up when I wake up. Since being home and recovering from jet lag, that has been before 10 am every day. If I could JUST make this my schedule when I am in NZ, I would be INCREDIBLY happy. It is what I've been trying to do for years. This means that hopefully my issue isn't totally biological. I think being in the sunshine has something to do with it--damn SAD--but also that there is a psychological component. I no longer have any PhD/work to dread & no pressure to run through a never-ending list of chores each day. The constant failure was getting to me, I think. There is no way for my energy to sustain me through a full work day plus cleaning and shopping and laundry and cooking and everything that needs to get done in NZ. I have to get some of that off of my plate somehow.

So. Goals for September (while at home):

1. Go to bed and wake up at reasonable hours.
2. Buy all US stuff that I need to buy to stock up for yet another GD year in NZ.
3. Back up home laptop.
4. Book car rental for Pacific NW road trip next year.
5. Ask around for good road trip itineraries for Pacific NW next year.
6. Skype or see friends and family:
• Skype D
• Skype LG
• Skype LM
• Dinner w/ B & fam
• Lunch w/ HEM
• Drinks w/ J and her hubby
• Visit B and stay for weekend
• See church family
• game night and dinner with extended family
7. get haircut and donate hair
8. Review finances, will, insurances, master list: secretsync set up to Google drive instead of dropbox?
9. Look into ancestry if I feel the urge.
10. Spend as many days as possible by the pool or on the beach in the sun--swimming, tanning, reading.
11. As many days as possible:
• meditate
• stretch/kgs/plank/situps/pushups/weights/splits
• SPF & night cream
• take vitamins
•  review goals
• floss

September (while in NZ):

1. Wake up early.
2. Make physio appt.
3. Enact 2 week free trial voucher at gym & go to stretch classes.
4. Make appt for therapist. 
5. Keep cooking for the week every Sunday.
6. Back up laptop.
7. Figure out tracking system for moods, weight, exercise, sleep, hormones.
   
8. Pacific NW road trip planning. 

PhD/Work Stuff:

1. Unpack office. 

For October:

1. Write: Outline paper #1 (Intro/lit review/methods/results).
2. Labwork:
1. Visit lab to make sure they have everything I require
2. Pick/prep samples from all sites again.  
3. prep collected samples for F
3. Analyze: 
• Skype call collaborators to figure out how to process data collected in December.
• calc bubble estimates
4.  Organise work computer: 
• finalise Prague files
• set up back up system for google drive files
5. Learn:
• Review all pencasts (including class notes)
• sci poster program review
• review class notes & homework
6. Communicate:
• draft blog post re: PhD
• keep up with Twitter

August Goal Status: Better luck next time

Goals and Status:

1. Main goal: Fix sleep schedule. Nope. But I'm doing VERY WELL since going on vacation!
2. Keep going to physio. Nope. I think I went once. Tweaked my back skiing so I need to go back when I'm back in NZ again.
3. Start going to stretch class regularly (2x/week). Nope again. Now that I've moved offices closer to the gym, I hope that I go more. I have a 2 week free trial voucher that I can use once I'm back. :)
4. Make appt for therapist. (Write or call her back to make appointment.) Sorta. I suggested a time/date for an appointment but she took so long to confirm it that I assumed she hadn't gotten my message and I planned something else for that time/date. Will revisit when I'm back in NZ.
5. Go to medical appt. Choose best BC. Yes. Have one to try if I need to be on one.
6. Keep cooking for the week every Sunday. (All but the Sundays I was away travelling!) I did this all except one Sunday when I had an outing--turns out if I leave the house on Sunday or try to do ANYTHING else except cook, I don't have the energy to cook. I went skiing one Sunday and didn't cook then either.
7. Back up home laptop. Not yet. Moved to September.
8. August pampering: Going home is pampering enough. Have already had a pedicure paid for by my mom. :) Plus--I took an impromptu ski trip!
9. Figure out tracking system for moods, weight, exercise, sleep, hormones. Sorta?
10. Figure out flight back from US next May/June & work out road trip.   Need to chat to my friends, but I will start making plans/booking rental cars/making an itinerary immediately.
11. Make list of things needed to buy in the US. Yep. Have gotten most things already. Now to fit them in my suitcase!!
12. Pack up and visit home.  Yes. Obviously.
13. Visit stardome on a clear night and use telescopes to view the night sky. Nope
14. As many days as possible:
1. meditate F I think I've done it ONCE this trip
2. stretch/kgs/plank/situps/pushups/weights/splits D. I'm very inconsistent
3. SPF & night cream B+
4. take vitamins C
5.  review goals B+
6. floss B+

PhD/Work Stuff:

1. Meet/get guidance: Meet PhD supervisors once mid-month. Nope. Was supposed to meet up with my supervisor in the US but he took the opportunity to place a bunch of demands on me while I was on vacation. Instead of acquiescing like I normally would, I am simply going to tell him I am unable to meet his demands as I AM ON VACATION. I therefore will not be meeting with him.
2. Pack up office for move.  Yes
3. Fieldwork: Plan and organise to take samples first week of August.Yes
4. Write: 
1. Outline paper #1 (Intro/lit review/methods/results). No; move to end Sept/October.
2. Finalise and submit grant proposal #2  Yes
5. Analyze: Skype call collaborators to figure out how to process data collected in December. No. After many repeated tries and attempts at contact, they have not returned my calls or emails.
6. Organize: 
1. clean out pen data storage to make room/archive deleted pencasts on PC. Yes
2. Set up ExpanDrive on both my laptop and work computers. Half done! Transferring files now. Just work computer... Yes
7. Labwork: Pick and start prepping samples from all sites. Labs close in August but get as much work done as possible.  Yes
8. Visit lab to make sure they have all my equipment required. No
9. Communicate: Keep up with Twitter. Write 1 blog post about my fieldwork/labwork. Take tons of pictures of samples. Prep for outreach event(s). All except blog post.

August Goals

1. Main goal: Fix sleep schedule.
2. Keep going to physio.
3. Start going to stretch class regularly (2x/week).
4. Make appt for therapist. (Write or call her back to make appointment.)
5. Go to medical appt. Choose best BC.
6. Keep cooking for the week every Sunday. (All but the Sundays I was away travelling!)
7. Back up home laptop.
8. August pampering: Going home is pampering enough. Plus--I took an impromptu ski trip!
9. Figure out tracking system for moods, weight, exercise, sleep, hormones.
   
10. Figure out flight back from US next May/June & work out road trip.  
11. Make list of things needed to buy in the US. 
12. Pack up and visit home. 
13. Visit stardome on a clear night and use telescopes to view the night sky. Nope
14. As many days as possible:
1. meditate
2. stretch/kgs/plank/situps/pushups/weights/splits
3. SPF & night cream
4. take vitamins
5.  review goals
6. floss

PhD/Work Stuff:

1. Meet/get guidance: Meet PhD supervisors once mid-month.
2. Pack up office for move. 
3. Fieldwork: Plan and organise to take samples first week of August.
   
4. Write: 
1. Outline paper #1 (Intro/lit review/methods/results).
2. Finalise and submit grant proposal #2
   
5. Analyze: Skype call collaborators to figure out how to process data collected in December.
6. Organize: 
1. clean out pen data storage to make room/archive deleted pencasts on PC. 
2. Set up ExpanDrive on both my laptop and work computers. Half done! Transferring files now. Just work computer...
7. Labwork: Pick and start prepping samples from all sites. Labs close in August but get as much work done as possible. Visit lab to make sure they have all my equipment required.
8. Communicate: Keep up with Twitter. Write 1 blog post about my fieldwork/labwork. Take tons of pictures of samples. Prep for outreach event(s).

July Goals: Oof

I am the worst. Behold:

July Goals

1. Main goal: Fix sleep schedule. NOPE
2. Meditate/deep breathing a few minutes. SOMETIMES
3. Make physio appt for numb toe/shoulder issues. YEP
4. Make appt for therapist. NOPE. MADE CONTACT, THOUGH.
5. Make chicken soup. Keep cooking for the week every Sunday. YEP!
6. Go to one work out class. YEP!
7. Float tank/bday pampering. :) SORTA. PAMPER BUT NOT FLOAT TANK
8. Figure out tracking system for moods, weight, exercise, sleep, hormones. SORTA. GETTING BETTER AT NOTICING AND WRITING THINGS DOWN...
9. Figure out flight back from US next May/June & work out road trip. SORTA. STILL WORKING THIS OUT.
10. Xfer everything to old phone til I get a chance to fix new phone. Research new phones in case new phone can't be fixed.  YEP
11. Open up laptop and blow it out with air duster. YEP

PhD/Work Stuff:

1. Meet/get guidance: Meet PhD supervisors once mid-month. YEP
2. Update my CV, LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, staff page, and Researchgate profiles for work. YEP
3. Fieldwork: Plan and organise to take samples towards end of month. YEP. 1 MORE TRIP TO GO IN AUGUST.
4. Write: 
1. Outline paper #1 (Intro/lit review/methods/results). NOPE
2. Finalise grant proposal #2 (up to supervisor to do so, is out of my hands!). SORTA! SUPERVISOR IS PUTTING TOGETHER FINISHING TOUCHES, I'LL REVIEW IT AND WE'LL SEND IT IN AUGUST.
5. Analyze: Learn how to process data from December. NOPE. IS TOO DIFFICULT, WE ARE COLLABORATING WITH PEEPS IN AUSTRALIA, WHO WILL WRITE A CODE TO GET THIS DONE.
6. Organize: 
1. make schedule to prep for conference #1. SORTA
2. clean out pen data storage to make room/archive deleted pencasts on PC. NOPE
3. Set up ExpanDrive on both my laptop and work computers. NOPE
7. Labwork: Pick and start prepping samples from sites #1, #2, and #3 & #4. NOPE
8. Communicate: Keep up with Twitter. YEP

Sigh. I am seriously the worst. Yet again my sleep schedule is #1 on my list and I don't follow through! I am so frustrated with myself. I've tried everything I can think of. I am super tired from about 4 am til about 9 pm, then I get a huge kick of energy that keeps me up til all hours. I need to either figure out a way to be productive on this schedule or figure out a way to change it to a normal schedule.

July 2016 Budget

Didn't I just do June's budget round up? Gosh, time is going by way too fast...

	July 2016 Budget
Category	Spent	Budgeted Amount	Balance
Rent	$1,125.00	$975.00	-$150.00
Groceries	$527.79	$425.00	-$102.79
Internet	$26.34	$26.33	-$0.01
Electricity	$76.01	$50.00	-$26.01
Eating Out	$219.30	$150.00	-$69.30
Charity	$0.00	$30.00	$30.00
Cell phone	$16.00	$40.00	$24.00
Medical	$36.00	$65.00	$29.00
Misc	$579.26	$700.00	$120.74
Savings	$500.00	$500.00	$0.00
Total	$3,105.70	$2,961.33	-$144.37
Remainder	$216.15

$$ to spend: $3,321.85

WAY over-budget on eating out and groceries. I am cooking at home WAY more--doing awesome at cooking for the week every single Sunday--but obviously I am eating out more as well. How is that even possible?! I always cook too much food for one person!

Oh well. I'll be more aware of it next month.

Next month I visit home, too. My credit card minimum spend is $1K USD in the next three months. I have $3K to spend during this trip, but I'm not keen on spending that kind of money without a minimum cc spend to meet.

I'll aim to just spend the $1K or close to it, and save some of the rest of the money (~$2K) for my next credit card minimum spend--Chase Explorer $2K in May 2017 on Trip #1. This will also save me from having to spend the $2K West Coast Trip fund.

Hit by the 5/24 Chase Fairy

I applied for a Chase credit card recently, unknowing that their crazy 5/24 rule was about to hit me smack in the face.

They instated a rule last year saying you couldn't have opened more than 5 credit cards in the past two years, or else they wouldn't give you a credit card at all. It could be ANY bank's credit card, Chase or not, but Chase cobranded cards (e.g. "Southwest Airlines card provided by Chase") didn't count against your 5 cards. I thought I was in the clear as my LANPASS and Chase United Explorer cards are cobranded cards.

NOPE.

I got denied! The 5/24 rule is real, y'all. And the rules have changed: clearly cobranded cards count, too.

The good news is that the cards I got in 2014 should drop off my list this year. But not in time for me to meet any minimum spends during my US trip next month!

I've updated my Master Travel plan accordingly, and have already applied for another card, NOT through Chase, in order to maximize US spending toward bonuses. It was an instant approval, so I'm on my way to implement my new plan.

My Budget, My Values?

NZ Muse posed a useful question recently: Does your budget reflect what you value?

I decided to look in a little more detail at my budget to see what I could figure out. It's especially good timing because I just got a raise at work. It's time to revise my budget! :)


Here is how I say my values stack up:

1. Personal Health: mental, physical (technically includes Home Comforts & Good Food)
2. Fulfilling my purpose in Life/Passion (which happens to be my Career. If I can't do this, my personal health is at risk, so this goes before friends/family, sadly.)
3. Friends/Family
4. Security/Retirement
5. Travel/Experiences
6. Giving Back

And this is my spending:

Income (typical month with 2 paychecks & 4 weekly carpark rental payments):
2 x $881.28 for part time project management job
2 x $449.30 for PhD
4 x $65 for garage rent

Total: $2,921.16

New Budget (after raise; average month):
Rent: $880 ($220 per week)
Groceries: $450 (this was increased)
Internet: $26.33
Electricity: $50 (average over the year)
Eating Out: $150 (this was increased)
Charity: $50 (this was increased)
Cell phone: $40 (Skype subscription + $16/month cell phone pre-pay plan)
Medical: $75 (this was increased)
Misc: $700
Savings: $500

When I looked at it in more detail, I could make out a few value categories:

Home Comforts: Rent, Electricity
Friends/Family: Cell phone (plus some Misc)
Entertainment: Internet (plus some Misc)
Good Food: Groceries, Eating Out
Health: Medical (plus some Misc for exercise)
Giving Back: Charity
Security/Retirement: Savings
Travel: Savings


The breakdown, by percentage:








Home Comforts: 32%
Entertainment: 1%
Health: 3%
Giving Back: 2%
Security/Retirement: 8% (plus 8% taken out of every paycheck, which isn't shown here)
Travel: 9%
Friends/Family 1%
Good Food: 20%
Other: 24%



SUMMARY
Problems
There are a few problems with this exercise. One is that when you live in a HCOLA and don't make a lot of money, your budget skews heavily towards things like food, rent, utilities, and basic household items. Those need to be taken out of the equation to adequately figure out values from your budget. Also, the things I value don't usually cost a lot of money! For example, I spend most of my time with friends and family playing boardgames, watching TV shows or movies on our couches, cooking dinner together, just chatting or texting over the phone, or going for walks. The last gift I gave was my absolute favourite gift I've ever given someone (a personalised, handcrafted Cards Against Humanity card deck), and it cost $0. So a small amount spent on friends or family is not necessarily reflective of how much I value them. Example #2: Giving back doesn't have to cost money either. I'm donating my hair this year...this also costs me close to $0. A low charity donation for the year doesn't mean that I'm not giving back. Nevertheless, it was a useful exercise.

Discussion
OK, firstly, I need to take out Rent/Utilities and Groceries to some degree, due to the HCOLA issue mentioned earlier. Secondly, 'Other' is such a broad category. I'm not sure how to quantify them, though, so I'm just going to leave them as-is. 

Spending by Ranking:

1. Home Comforts (32%)
2. Other (24%)
3. Food (20%)
4. Security/Retirement: (16+%; $250 or more per month PLUS 8% of every paycheck)
5. Travel (9%)
6. Health (3%)
7. Giving Back (2%)
8.  Friends/Family -- Entertainment tied (1%)

Versus what I say my values are:

1. Personal Health: mental, physical (technically includes Home Comforts & Good Food)
2. Fulfilling my purpose in Life/Passion
3. Friends/Family
4. Security/Retirement
5. Travel/Experiences
6. Giving Back

I found this exercise really interesting but I don't think my spending ultimately reflects how I live my life or what I value that well, mostly because the things I value most can be done very cheaply or for free! In the end, this exercise is most useful for people who maybe spend a ton of money on stuff that they don't cherish or value and need to change that to feel more fulfilled and streamline their budget. For those of us who have figured that out already, or aren't super passionate about clothes, cars, things, etc., it is a bit more tricky to say that our spending adequately reflects our values!

I think I am going to do another post on my time spending vs values. Maybe that one will be more accurate and a more useful exercise for me at this point in my life?

2016 Spending Halfway Mark Review

Like I did with my goals, it's time to look at my spending and see if I'm on track.

Seven months out of 12 is about 58%, so I should be at 58% spent or under. I'm over in Medical and Internet, for various reasons. Rent is left out here; it's automatic and messy since it isn't paid monthly (is paid weekly--some months have 5 payments, some have 4).

Internet: I switched to fiber internet and had to buy a new modem and stuff, so that's why that is over. I'm happy with my new, lower cost, unlimited plan. At $26.33 per month, that is about as low as it is gonna get!

Medical: I've had some issues this year, plus I've been exploring various options and getting some needed vaccinations/boosters. I will spend as much as I need to on Medical. A single therapy session is $275, with follow ups at $175 a pop, so I will be overextending this by quite a bit if I start going.

I'm a teeny bit overbudget in Eating Out. But that's OK!

My income since January has been $20,433.94 and I've spent $19,061.30 (including Rent). I'll make about $35K after taxes and retirement cuts this year, IF you include my $65 per week garage rent income. If you don't, I make a little over $31,600 from my straight up salary.

What is weird is that feels totally extravagant--over $30 G's to spend/save for the year?! My existence is expensive. Good thing I am saving a little! I've saved about $1,400 this year on top of my retirement savings (8% of salary) and my $500/month budgeted savings ($3,500).

Yep, I'm pretty happy with how much I make and how I'm using it. The great news is that (barring health difficulties), I should never make less than this after I finish my PhD. There will be a year where I will have to go full-time and will make only $23K, but I hope to top that up by applying for a $16K PhD 'completion scholarship.'

2016 Goals: Halfway Mark

Well, it's over 6 months into the year, but I thought it might be a good time to check in on my 2016 goals. I've reviewed them below, and I think I'm on track for completing them by the end of the year. 

As a reminder, here they are, with updates:

Main goal: Fix sleeping schedule. I now think I know my keystone habit, the one that gets me on track for doing everything I'd like to do in my life: getting up early. The trick is actually doing it. I am failing the majority of days, but I still keep committing myself to the goal every night.

Other goals:

Financial Goals

DONE:

1.    Revise 2016 budget according to PhD salary and lifestyle in 2015. Done Jan 2016
2.       File US taxes.
3.    File state taxes.
4.    Buy basic Renter's insurance (including public liability). AA insurance? Quoted $338 annually for $10K of contents, $307 for $5K, $420 for $25K, $400 for $20K, $290 for $2K (their minimum), and $370 for $15K. Done Jan 2016. Even got $50 back in a promotion!
   $12K for $350 and $1K excess.
   
5.   . Join CreditKarma.
6. Use airpoints for trip home in 2016.  Done! Tickets booked.
7.    Strategize credit card rewards to get free trip to West Coast for wedding in April/May 2017, and East Coast afterward. I think this is done! For 2017 travel, I have 80K United airmiles I can use for round trip airfare to/from the West Coast, and 48K American Airmiles I can use to get to the East Coast. I'll have to play with open-jaw ticket/stopover options, but I think I am OK. 
8. Figure out cc airmiles earnings for 2017 US trip #2 spending. DONE--see here.
9. Transfer 2015 Kiwisaver money from Rabobank and contribute to Superlife Kiwisaver. 
10.    Contribute lump sum $2750 saved in 2015 to Kiwisaver. This should allow me to meet the Kiwisaver minimum contributions to get the tax credit.

LEFT TO DO:

1. Review my NZ retirement allocations. Scheduled for September
2. Review my US retirement allocations. These continue to SUCK. Scheduled for September
3. Review insurances, will, and Master Financial documents. Scheduled for September
4. Check Experian and Equifax credit reports from the US. Check TransUnion after October 13 2016. Scheduled for October.
5. In late June: book W Coast tix for May 2017 wedding, then on to East Coast for family visit & back. OR decide to go back home after conference to West coast later that year (?). Tix booked to W Coast for wedding. Need to book tix back to NZ.
6.     Save $500/mo to long-term House DP goal. This is on track.
7.  Figure out a method to track travel expenses. Any tips? Still struggling here, but I think a combo of keeping receipts and logging spending each day would work if I can remember to do so.
8.  Track every penny and stay out of debt. This is on track.

Travel/Experiences/Social

DONE:

1.    Find someone to travel to Chile with and plan 2 week trip. DONE!
2.     Go on one date. Nope. I'm not dating anymore. Or am I?

 STILL TO DO:

1.     Beat Stranger Danger: go to one meetup event where I know no one every quarter (Jan - Mar; April - June; July - Sept; Oct - Dec). (note: even though I'm not dating, I still think this is a really good idea.). Q1: photography class & friend's going away (I knew no one else going but talked to as many people as I could in 2 hours...I think that counts!). Q2: meetup pub quiz. This is on track.
2.    Visit home. Half done: Airmiles used to book tix! This is all but done.
3. Do Coast-to-Coast hike. 
4.     Find something to do for Xmas and New Year's Eve 2016. BFF & I are thinking about booking a bach up north again.

Learning/Projects

DONE:

1.    Take a photography course. Should be doable one Saturday! $185 NZD Done! Mar 2016--now I want to do a night course and the intermediate course!
2.     Play with smartphone camera. 
3.   Learn how to drive stick (Chile). FAIL
4.  Refresh Spanish online using Duolingo. I have new goal of 50% fluency (as measured by Duolingo) by my trip, and 90+% fluency by end 2016 so that I can put this on my CV & LinkedIn. 

STILL TO DO:

1.     Do Lumosity (free version) several times a week. This is on track.
2.     Take public speaking workshop.
3.     Take an Artstation course.
4.     Go to the Stardome 4x a year, in each season. Learn how to identify at least 5 constellations/heavenly bodies in each hemisphere. This site is neat for that. First visit: May 2016;

Career

DONE:

1.     Give one public talk.
2.   Write PhD proposal.
3.  Get awarded at least one grant. (DONE in January! $68K grant awarded.) 
4. Start writing first paper for PhD (lit review/methods). 
5. Sign up for ORCiD.
6.  Grant one media interview. Done March 2016--but journalist postponed story. (I think it still half counts because I had to really get up the courage to say yes...) Done June. But it was over email. I should still do another talking-one to get the experience I need. 
7.     Write grant proposal #2. This is now out of my hands; my supervisor has to send it in once he makes his changes. 
8.     Collaborate with educators to improve curricula/public outreach. First meeting done, museum display curated, and an outreach event is fully planned.

STILL TO DO:

1.     Update my CV, LinkedIn, Twitter, blog, staff page, and Researchgate profiles for work in January, April, July, and November.  This is on track.
2.     Guide one field trip.
3.     Prep for Conferences #2 and #3 in 2017. Abstracts due Jan 2017. Timeline sorted; goals stated to supervisors, now all I have to do is the WORK.

Medical/Physical/Mental Health

DONE:

1. Go to physio and get instructions for stretches for posture, splits, hip openers, shoulder therapy. Appt made for late Feb./early Mar.
2.     Get medical check up. Normal yearly check up. S. America vaccines. Get thyroid levels checked. Check for Zika/Chagas disease!!  Get DTaP/pertussis booster shot (cheaper in NZ!), flu shot (wait til flu season). Check eczema if they can. Done Mar & June 2016.
3.     Get eye check up. Early part of 2016. My prescription has changed. I ordered new glasses Dec 2015.
4.     Get another eye check up to confirm #5's results. I don't quite believe the new prescription (my eyesight got a lot...better?!) And I want to get my contact lens prescription, too. Jan 2016: done! different prescription, but eyes have definitely gotten better. Got my CL scrip, too--I ordered new contacts. I think I (sigh) actually need DIFFERENT glasses now, as my second prescription was weaker than the first. Basically, my eyesight is all over the place! 
5.   Get dental check up. Early part of 2016. Jan 2016: made appt for late Feb. March: Get dental cleaning, check in with grinding guard, and electric toothbrush recommendation.
6.    Go to the dermatologist for eczema and mole check (grab mole map from existing--creepy--dermo). May was earliest appt. Will cost $300. I will see if my normal GP can prescribe the eczema meds I need instead. In that case I will need to figure something else out for the mole check. Doctor gave me eczema meds. I need to figure something else out for the mole check. Maybe next year. 

STILL TO DO:

1.     Floss every day! I keep skipping. My former self who did it every day for a year would be appalled. This is on track.
2.  Order fitting sunglasses. :/ I hate the ones I bought from Zenni, they slip down constantly. Scheduled for September
3.       Meditate a few minutes every day. I don't do this every day yet, but I am doing it more consistently.
4.     Treat yo'self! Every month, get a massage or other deal via grabone to have some luxury me-time in the midst of super stressful PhD life. This is on track.
           January: pedicure. Done.
           February: Try a Float Tank Nope. circumstances made this impossible the date that I wanted to go.
           March: Float Tank and S. America trip
           April: S Am trip
           May: ?
           June: Got hair cut: the works. Love it when I get my hair washed for me!
           July:
           August:
           September:
           October:
           November:
           December:
5.    Take a work out class: pilates, tennis, weight/strength training, stretch class. I need to work on this.
6.    Learn how to do the splits.  I need to work on this.

Other

DONE:

1.    Time log for 3 weeks.
2.     Food diary for 1 week.
   

STILL TO DO:

1.    Back up computer 4 times a year: March/June/September/December. This is on track.
2.     Identify staple pieces for wardrobe: Joanna Gaines Blog 1  Scheduled for September
3.     Make a physical recipe book so that I no longer have to reference my laptop for recipes while cooking: this is at home. I need to ship it here. This is on track.
4. work on ancestry book for both sides of family. Scheduled for September
5.     Log general mood and correlating habits (sleep, food, hormones) for 3 months.  I am getting better at noticing my dips and swings.
6.      Start thinking about 2017 goals. This is on track.